


First Date

by WhirlwindWolf94



Series: Hogwarts Mystery [4]
Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Barnaby Lee/Player Character - Freeform, Can't think of more tags, Dorks in Love, F/M, Female Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery), First Date, Fluff, Video Game: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, tlsq
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 19:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20747771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhirlwindWolf94/pseuds/WhirlwindWolf94
Summary: This is Barnaby's side of the First Date TLSQ! I've been sitting on this for a while. Don't know why I haven't actually gone through with it before. . .





	First Date

A Hogwarts Mystery Fanfic

**Barnaby**

Potions in the morning is the worst. I swear, Snape gets even more unpleasant the earlier we see him. And we're doing a review without notes! I can barely do things right with my notes! I was so focused on making sure my cauldron didn't explode that I nearly missed Snape speaking again. Oh. . . Of course, he's bullying Winter. What's he got against Gryffindors, anyway? Huh? Winter's got a note during a no-notes lesson? That's not like her at--

"Do you like me? Yes or no. Circle your answer. . . ?"

My heart stopped for a moment. A note asking if someone liked her? That means she likes that someone, right? She has a crush on someone? Who? Who could she possibly have a crush on? She's been so focused on finding her brother, where'd she find the time to have a crush? Huh? Oh, Snape's dismissed the class. Merlin's beard, why did my heart start racing when I was thinking of that? Huh.

  
Anyway, Winter went off with Rowan to Flying Class while I got to Herbology. I wasn't nearly as good in this class as I am in Care of Magical Creatures. Especially now since my mind was. . . elsewhere. The class went by pretty quickly, considering I was thinking way more than I usually did. But I had a study group to get to in the Library next with Andre, Tulip, and . . . Winter. There goes my heartbeat again. Why did my heart have it's mind set on leaping out of my chest today?! It couldn't have anything to do with the crush I have on Winter, could it? Well, I suppose it could. I mean, I've fancied her since the Celestial Ball, really. And now It's known throughout the school that she has a crush on someone. . . Okay, Barnaby, relax. It's not like I could be her crush, right? Well, we did go to the ball together. . . But that was as friends! I think. . .

  
"Oy! Barnaby!"

  
I jumped when I heard Tulip's voice whisper at me. I looked around and saw that I was already in the Library, past the table we were meeting at. I shook my head and took my seat beside Andre.

  
"Barnaby, you alright, mate?" Andre asked, patting my shoulder.

  
"Er. . . Yeah, just a bit distracted. . ." I said, pulling my books out.

  
"About a certain rumor, no doubt." Tulip teased, winking at me.

  
"What's that supposed to mean?!"

  
"SHHH!"

  
Madam Pince glared at us from her desk, silencing us. I wasn't complaining, though, it kept the others from teasing me. Apparently, I wasn't very good at hiding my crush from anyone other than Winter herself. Speaking of. . .

  
"Hey! Sorry I'm late." Winter whispered, taking her seat across from me.

  
"We heard about Snape's class. Are you alright?" Tulip asked without missing a beat.

  
"Was it mortifying?" Andre added, an odd glint in his eye.

  
"And do Romanian Longhorns have one horn or two?" I asked, partly to try and change the subject, but mostly because I forgot.

  
"Two horns, I think. Is that right?" Winter answered, gnawing on her thumbnail.

  
"I don't know."

  
"But I thought you were quizzing me."

  
"No, I just wanted to know the answer." and to keep the conversation away from crushes.

  
"Barnaby, what are you doing asking about schoolwork, mate?" Andre asked, an accusing look on his face.

  
"I thought we were having a study group." I said, trying to stay normal.

  
"Yeah, I thought so, too." Winter said, her wrist twitching.

  
"But we agreed we'd talk about real life, first. It's far more exciting than counting dragon horns." Tulip said smugly.

  
"I wasn't here for that agreement. And if by 'real life,' you mean Potions Class, I'd rather put that behind me. I don't want to talk about Snape reading my note aloud." Winter said, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. Cute! Wait. . .

  
"We don't want to talk about that, either!" Tulip said, rather loudly.

  
"SHHHH!"

  
Seriously, how do you forget about Madam Pince being right 'round the corner?

  
"We don't want to talk about that, either. . ." Tulip said more quietly.

  
"Brilliant." Winter said, smiling.

  
"Yeah, we want to talk about who your note was for!" Andre chimed in, smiling brightly.

  
Oh, no. She's blushing again. Gotta say something. . .

  
"If it's me you fancy, you can tell me. I mean, we did go to the Celestial Ball together!" I said, my heart hammering.

  
What?! Barnaby, you numpty, why'd you blurt that out?! Think before you speak! Oh, thank Merlin, here comes Madam Pince! Never thought I'd be thinking that. . .

  
"Shhh! Shhhh!"

  
Winter seemed to relax a bit as well. Her wrist stopped twitching, at least.

  
"I can't tell you now. If we're going to stay in the Library, we have to at least pretend to study." she said, pulling her books out.

  
"Count me in! Pretending to study is almost as good as the real thing!" I said, maybe a bit too brightly.

  
"Shhhh! Shhhhhh! Shhhhhhh!"

  
Okay. Pretending to study in total silence. Good, it gave me time to calm down. I buried my nose in my copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I knew the whole book by heart, but it was the first one I touched. Time felt like it was dragging on and on, like everything was plotting against me. My damn eyes kept straying toward Winter, how she scribbled random notes on a scrap of parchment. Her left-handed scrawl even more untidy than usual, since she wasn't actually serious about writing anything. Wonder if she tried extra hard to make her handwriting pretty when she was writing her note. Wouldn't matter to me, I love her handwriting, it's just so her. . . Wait, there go those thoughts again! Get out of my head!

  
I felt an elbow nudge my ribs and looked over at Andre. Merlin's Beard, why? He was making fanning motions on his face behind his book and grinning at me. So I'm blushing, am I? Well, why not just tell me that?! Why would he try to embarrass me at every turn? And why must all our friends be so damn observant?! It didn't matter, anyway, I just want to help Winter out. She deserves to be happy after everything she's been through. Whoever her crush is, they're a lucky one. She's not perfect, she'll be the first to tell you that, but she's bloody close to it. To me, anyway. Good with creatures, strong in a duel, kind to everyone, willing to give anyone a chance at being a friend. . . Bloody hell, I've lost the plot, haven't I?

  
Huh? Oh, Pince is distracted. Time to talk again, according to Tulip and Andre.

  
"I'm rather surprised by all this interest in my social life. Aren't there enough things around Hogwarts to entertain you? It's a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after all." Winter said, her wrist twitching again.

  
"I'm telling you, Winter, you're more popular than you think." Andre said, oddly happy about the fact.

  
"But if you'd rather not tell us who you like until all of the initial gossip blows over. . . For instance, if you're deciding your next move. . . " Tulip said, hinting rather obviously.

  
"My next move? I haven't the foggiest idea what my 'next move' will be--"

  
"Your next move will be out of my Library."

  
Bloody hell, when did Madam Pince walk up?! Scared the pants off me.

  
"Madam Pince!" Winter exclaimed, jumping at least a foot off her chair.

  
"I've been watching your 'study group.' Students loudly loitering while pretending to study. . . Do you think I haven't seen this before?" Pince said, clearly scolding us.

  
"This feels like one of those tricky yes-or-no questions. . ." I mumbled.

  
"Don't answer it, Barnaby." Tulip said, flatly.

  
"All of you, gather your books and go. Take your idle chatter elsewhere. . ."

  
And that was that. Pince walked off, and we started gathering our books.

  
"Where do you think we ought to take our idle chatter?" Andre asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

  
"Somewhere far from gossip, I think. My stomach is still a bit flip-floppy. Perhaps some lunch will settle it. Let's go. . ." Winter said, her wrist twitching up a storm.

  
Well, they can go to lunch. I've got to go to the Care of Magical Creatures paddock. Professor Kettleburn is still teaching me what I need to do to care for Harmonia, my Kneazle kitten. The one Winter helped me name. I need to prove I can care for her properly before I can even apply for a permit to keep her. That's going to be rather hard, considering my mind is occupied with. . . other things. Ugh.

  
Anyway, I got to the paddock and started my now-familiar routine. Harmonia had grown a lot since she chose me, almost a full kilo. Winter's been helping me a lot, too. She's had her own Kneazle, Artemis, help me raise her. He's been really good with the discipline part, I don't like speaking harshly with creatures. But a firm thwack from a grown Kneazle's paw does wonders to stop a teething kitten's mouthing. And they're close as can be, too. Every chance they get, Harmonia snuggles as close as possible to Arty. He's a patient thing, really. He just grooms her until she falls asleep. Could they have crushes on each other? Do creatures have crushes? They must do, they fall in love and have babies. But what do I do if Harmonia and Arty get together? Would that mean I could--

  
"I say, Mr. Lee! Are you quite alright, my boy?" Professor Kettleburn asked, waving his real hand in front of my face.

  
"Wha-?"

  
"There you are, m'boy. Are you alright? You've been rather spacey for over two hours now. Have you heard a word I've said?" he asked, helping me up from the stump I was sitting on.

  
"Er. . . No. Sorry, Professor. I've been a bit. . . distracted lately." I said, scratching the back of my neck.

  
"Egad! It must be serious if it's distracting you from creatures, Barnaby. Whatever could be the matter?"

  
"Um. . . Well. . . It's just that. . . I've got a bit of a crush on someone. . . And I just found out that she has a crush on someone. . . But I'm worried that the someone she's got a crush on isn't me. . . Is that selfish?"

  
"Of course not, lad. Young hearts often tear themselves apart when they fancy another. I've seen it in creatures plenty of times. If you truly care about them, all you'll want is for them to be happy. Is that what you want?"

  
"Of course! I always want her to be happy! I can't stand it when she's upset. Her smile is so amazing, I'll do anything to make sure she keeps it."

  
"Then she's a very lucky girl. To have a friend like you to cheer her on. But let me give you some advice; tell her."

  
"What?! But-"

  
"Listen. If you never get it off your chest, you'll never get past it. And that can lead you down a dark path. One I want you to stay far away from. It's best to clear the air early on, rather than letting it fester and explode on her wedding day. Wouldn't you agree?"

  
"I. . . Guess. . . We'll see. Thanks, Professor."

  
"My pleasure, Mr. Lee. Now, I suggest you go have a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. It'll perk you right up. And you know what? How about you take Flick with you? The little fellow could use some time away from his little siblings."

  
"Blimey! Thanks, Professor! Take care of Harmonia until I come back, okay? Won't be too long, I promise!"

  
With that, I scooped up Flick and gave Harmonia a kiss on the head before I headed to Hogsmeade. The walk was a nice one, it helped clear my head. And Flick kept snuggling into my chin the whole way. But I wasn't prepared for the party inside when I got there. Someone's having a happy birthday indeed. Anyway, I took a seat and watched Flick scamper about across the table. Huh? Bollocks. Winter just walked in. Wait. . . Has she been wearing the jumper I gave her this whole time? I've noticed she's worn it whenever she's been stressed ever since I gave it to her. It is a comfy jumper. Wonder what she's doing here, though. . . Oh. She's meeting Bill.

  
She's been spending quite a bit of time with Bill lately, actually. Could he be the one she. . . No, he's two years older than us. . . That's a weak excuse. My parents are four years apart in age. . . But she hasn't acted like she's liked him for the past five years. . . Ugh! What am I doing?! I promised myself I'd be happy for her no matter what! But I still have to tell her. . . Argh! Why are feelings so complicated?!

  
Huh? Oh, she's leaving. She didn't even-what? A little paper butterfly fluttered over to me. Cute! As soon as it landed in my hand, it unfolded itself into a note. With very familiar handwriting. Winter wanted to meet me in the Library. Soon as possible. Probably another study group. Okay. I downed the rest of my drink and scooped Flick up. He whined a little at being ignored for a whole twenty seconds while I read the note, but he was fine after I hushed him with some frog-spawn soap.

  
Anyway, I dropped him off back home and collected Harmonia. I dropped her off in the little bed on my nightstand before heading to the Library. All the while, my heart was hammering again. This was it. I was going to tell her no matter what. Once she told us what she needed to tell us, I was going to tell her what I needed to tell her. . . There's a lot of telling going on today. . .

  
Anyway, I got to the Library before I knew it. Taking a deep breath, I walked in and stood by one of the bookshelves. Waiting. . . Why did it feel like time stood still when you were waiting for something? I'm sure Rowan would have an explanation for that. A very complicated one, but an explanation all the same. Speaking of Rowan, where is she? Or anyone else, for that matter. . . Oh! There's Winter.

  
"Hi, Winter. Where's everyone else?" I asked, looking around.

  
"Everyone else?" she asked, looking confused.

  
"I thought you'd planned another study group."

  
"No. What made you think that?"

  
"It's not often anyone chooses me alone for a study partner. I'm usually invited places for my dimples." Merlin, stop talking!

  
"I just wanted a quiet place where we could talk, Barnaby."

  
She called me Barnaby instead of Bee. This has to be serious.

  
"Shhh!" Guess who.

  
"Though I suppose we'll have to talk softly. . ." Winter said, shoving her right hand in the pocket of her skirt to stop it twitching.

  
"Sounds serious. What's going on?" I asked, more alert now.

  
"I planned a date. A potential date. At Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. But I haven't asked out my crush yet."

  
Oof. Here it is. I hope this doesn't drag on too long.

  
"Do you want me to do it for you?" I asked before I could think.

  
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, rightfully confused.

  
"People ask me to be their messenger all the time. I'm told it's hard to say no to this face." stop talking stop talking stop talking!

  
"I hope it's hard to say no to mine. . ." Wait, what? "I'm not asking you to ask out my crush for me. . .Because I'm, um, asking him now."

  
Merlin, she's adorable. . . Wait, huh?

  
"Asking what, now?" stupidstupidstupid!

  
"I'm asking you out, Barnaby. . . On a date." her face was as red as the emblem on her jumper.

  
"_I__'m your crush?!_" I blurted out, my voice cracking.

  
"Shhh! Shhh!" really? Now?

  
"Why didn't you tell me before, at our study group?" I asked, buying time for my heart to get back to normal.

  
"I suppose I wasn't ready then. Or when I spotted you at the Three Broomsticks. It felt like too many people were around. And I've already had to deal with school rumors about me."

  
That's too true. And they were all really undeserving, too. Wait. . .

  
"I just realized. . . The note Snape read aloud in class. . . That must've been for me!"

  
"SHHHH!"

  
Shut up you old hag, this is important! Oof. I'm gonna have to apologize for that later. . .

  
"Yes. I. . . Fancy you, Barnaby. If you fancy me. . . would you, um, want to go out with me?"

  
My heart really did stop this time. Her face was so cute! Her face was so red, it made the blue in her eyes stand out even more than they already did. Her left hand was rubbing the back of her neck, while her right hand was still firmly in her pocket. She looked like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. I wanted to answer, but I was frozen! Speak, dammit! Idiot, she's getting self-conscious now, speak!

  
"I've had to shush you two long enough. I'm separating you." Madam Pince, the queen of terrible timing, snapped from behind me.

  
"What?! Right now?!" Winter exclaimed, her voice cracking now.

  
"It's exactly that level of volume that warrants it, Miss Tepes. You can settle down while you both shelve books for me. Separately. Starting now."

  
There was nothing for it now. I'm such an idiot, why didn't I answer right away?! Damn. I wasn't even paying attention to where the books were going. Hopefully Pince doesn't care, either, as long as we're quiet. I've gotta talk to her. Now. How to do that with Pince breathing down our necks, though. . . Oh, hey Peeves. . . Peeves!

  
"Psst! Peeves! Mind helping me out, mate?" I asked, waving down the poltergeist.

  
"Ooh~ Ickle Barney-Warney needs ol' Peeves' help? Why should I helps ya, eh?" he asked, floating upside-down in front of me.

  
"Because annoying Pince is fun?"

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
"Gotta deal! Wheeeee!"

  
And with that, Peeves went off to knock some books off a shelf on the other side of the room. That immediately caught Pince's attention. As soon as she was out of earshot, I got as close as possible to the bookshelf separating me and Winter.

  
"Psst! Winter. . . Over here. . ." I whispered through the books, hoping she'd hear.

  
After a moment of shuffling, she found the nook I was whispering through.

  
"Barnaby?" she asked, surprised.

  
"Yes!" I blurted out without thinking again.

  
"Yes, I know it's you, it's just that you surprised me." she said with a chuckle.

  
"I meant my answer is yes. About the date. I'd like to go out with you. Very much." I said, smiling.

  
"Really?! Great!"

  
Aw, her eyes are twinkling now.

  
"Shh, Pince has ears like a hawk. Except you can't see a hawk's ears. . ."

  
"Quick, before she comes over here. . . How's tomorrow? Six o'clock at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop?"

  
"Brilliant! Where's Madam Puffitoot's Tea Shop?" I asked, laughing. Am I giddy?

  
"Madam Puddifoot's. It's in Hogsmeade."

  
"And to think this date of ours all started with a note and a rumor. . . I may owe Snape a thank-you card!"

  
"Watch out, he may read it aloud in class."

  
"We'd better get back to shelving. . . See you soon?"

  
"Yes, see you soon. . ."

  
Why was she the most adorable thing when she blushes? I felt like I was floating as we finished our shelving. I did it! Well, not really, but close! I've got a date! With the best witch I've ever met! All thanks to Snape, of all people! Oh, my heart is skipping, I can feel it. Okay, Barnaby, calm down. You still have to go on the date. Merlin, do I have any date clothes? Should I dress up? Knowing Winter, she'd want us to be comfortable. But I just know she's going to look stunning. She always does. Especially if Andre has anything to say about it. And I know he will. Well, I do have that button-down from my dress robes. . . Surely that's acceptable for a first date?

  
Huh? Where'd everyone go? How long have I been spacing out? Long enough to have missed dinner, apparently. Oh well, I've got plenty of time for food. I've got a date tomorrow! An actual date! And I can't wait! Bet I won't get any sleep, either!

  
I was wrong, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow. . .

  
I slept in a bit, since it was a weekend. And Harmonia was curled up in a little ball on the small of my back. It wasn't my fault, is what I'm saying. But I got up and got some breakfast. I couldn't keep my eyes off the Gryffindor table all morning. She was there, talking with Rowan and Ben. Bill and Charlie were laughing at something she said, Bill ruffling her hair. He's the only one who gets away with that. Since he's close to Jacob's age, Winter sees him as another older brother. Was I really jealous of him before? Silly me. I'll have to apologize to Bill later. That'd confuse him, won't it?

  
Anyway, I passed the time at the Magical Creatures paddock. Professor Kettleburn thwacked me pretty good on the back when I told him I had a date. And I could tell the creatures were excited for me, too. Sniffers kept nuzzling into my hair. Ace's tails were wagging even faster than usual. And don't get me started on Harmonia and Artemis. I got the feeling that Winter told her critters about it, too, because Arty was even more affectionate toward me than usual. Honestly, I was so giddy, time snuck up on me. Kettleburn had to snap me out of it when four-thirty came 'round.

  
Okay, let's do this! After I got Harmonia settled in her bed, I rifled through my trunk for my clothes. Thankfully, my shirt and slacks weren't wrinkled from being tossed into my trunk after washing day. My black slacks and white button-down looked pretty good. Don't know where my Ball shoes went, so I hope my regular shoes will be alright. I actually got my collar to stay down for once. Alright, just to make sure, I've got to show my mates to make sure I look alright. I met them at the courtyard and, of course, they teased me about having a date. But they told me I looked fine. So, it was almost time. I decided to go ahead and head out to Hogsmeade. I knew Snape would choose the very last minute to call Winter in to detention, so I wasn't worried about being too early or late.

  
And there she was. She was exactly on time and she looked absolutely brilliant. Black and red dress, black tights and shoes, a silver necklace resting on her collarbone, her hair was styled to the side with a red flower behind her ear. And the makeup. Subtle grey eyeshadow made her eyes shine from behind her glasses, her high cheekbones were lightly dusted with some blush, and her lips were a deep red. She was perfect.

  
"Hi, Bee." she said, walking up to me.

  
"Hi. . . Er, Hi! Hi, Winter. Um. . . Ready?" I was stumbling over everything!

  
"Of course! Let's go, the tea shop's right over here!"

  
With that, she took my hand and lead me down an alley to a very small shop that I'd never seen before. Her hand was so small! I'd never noticed before, but she has tiny little hands. Delicate, really. Anyway! The shop! It was a cute little shop, really. Cozy. Only three tables, not counting the one being used to display a pyramid of teacups. We should not let Tonks in here. . .

  
"So, this is the place. . ." Winter said, awkwardly fiddling with her hair.

  
"It's. . . flowery!" I said, looking around.

  
"Are you alright with the flowers. . . ?"

  
"Sure! Flowers smell great when they're not on wallpaper or tablecloths. Or on clothes, I guess. . ." What was that, Barnaby?

  
"You're looking quite smart, by the way. Though, I always like how you look. . ."

  
She's blushing again! Why is she so cute?!

  
"Thanks, me too! These cheekbones go with everything." Merlin, what was that?! Recover! "And I like how you look, too, Winter. Tonight and always."

  
Was that smooth? I hope that was smooth.

  
"Thank you, Bee."

  
Yes! That smile was what I was after! With a chuckle, we took our seats. Thankfully, it didn't take long for Madam Puffitoot to get to us. Mostly because there was only one other couple in the place. Are we a couple? It takes more than one date, surely. Well, depending on how well the first date goes, I suppose we could be. . .

  
"What can I get for you, m'dears?" Madam Puffitoot asked, smiling brightly.

  
"Oh. Um. . . Tea? We'll have tea." Winter said, obviously not used to ordering.

  
"Tea. . . Makes sense." I said, trying to help.

  
"And, um. . . nothing too spillable, please, Madam Puddifoot?"

  
"Tea you can't spill, you say. . . I'll brew up a little something. You just go back to enjoying your first date. Be back in a jiffy." Madam Puffitoot said with a wink, then walked off to the back.

  
"How did she know it was our first date? I mean, I'm sure it's not your first date ever, but it's mine." Winter said, blushing again.

  
Did she just say that? Her first date ever? With me? Did I forget to breathe again?

  
"No, it's my first 'first date,' too." I said, my smile probably looking dopey by now.

  
"But you must get asked out all the time, Bee."

  
"But I only said yes to one of those times. This time. Perhaps Madam Puffitoot's a psychic and that's how she knew it's our first date. . ."

  
"Puddifoot. She's not psychic. Were we talking about something that tipped her off that it was our first date?"

  
"What were we talking about? I can't remember."

  
"Is there something you'd like to talk about?"

  
You. I mean, what? I can't say that!

  
"Yes! Good thinking! We should talk about something." I said, hoping my face wasn't going red.

  
"I suppose we should. . ."

  
"Brilliant. Let's talk, then. . ."

  
"Now you're talking!"

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
"I mean, we've talked before. To each other, I mean."

  
"Yes, plenty!"

  
"We've talked in the Great Hall. . . And we've talked in the Courtyard. . . And we've talked on the Training Grounds. . ."

  
"Yes, lots of places. Though I don't know that we need to name every location. . ."

  
"Good, because I was already running out of places. . ." Merlin, Barnaby, pull it together.

  
"Have we ever talked about. . . Um. . ."

  
"Eyebrows? Were you going to say eyebrows?" What the hell, Barnaby?

  
"No. But now I'm thinking about eyebrows."

  
"All I know is we have definitely talked about. . . stuff. I mean, we talked when we went to the Celestial Ball together. . . That's something."

  
"Yes! Exactly! We're quite good at talking."

  
"The best!"

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
Until it comes to talking during a date! Come on, Barnaby, think!

  
"Madam Puddifoot is taking a rather long time. I got a bit flustered before, but I did order tea, didn't I?" Winter asked, fidgeting with her hair again.

  
"Yeah, for both of us. Unspillable tea!" I said, remembering the interesting-sounding drink.

  
"Oh, should I not have ordered for you? Bee, I wasn't even thinking. . . Tonks had warned me about spilling tea, and. . . I've gone and botched things, haven't I?"

  
Oh, no, please not that tone! She always thinks she's ruining fun things. Gotta fix this, c'mon, Barnaby!

  
"Not at all! I can't wait to see what unspillable tea is!" I said, smiling.

  
"You're just saying that to be nice. . ."

  
"I'm saying it because. . . I like you, Winter. I like you very much."

  
Oof, that felt good. Getting a little bit of a confession off my chest helped me breathe a little better. And the blush and smile on her face made my heart soar. And then she stiffened in her seat. What's wrong now?

  
"Tonks and Charlie!" she exclaimed, her face going kind of pale.

  
"What?"

  
"Tonks and Charlie. . . Are here."

  
Damn.

  
"Is that good or bad? I'm not sure what it means to us." I said, trying to figure out why we were such good friends with such nosey people.

  
"Neither am I. Let's just get on with our date and pretend they're not here. . ."

  
"Pretend they're not here when they're sitting just a few feet away. . . ? Challenge accepted!"

  
Now, I said that, but it was way harder than I thought it'd be. I could feel them watching us! This was worse than Snape breathing down your neck when mixing a potion! Well, not really, but pretty bloody close. Winter and I just talked about the most random things, I can't even remember what they were. And we could hear them talking, too, so it was very disorienting. They weren't very good spies. And I guess we weren't very good at ignoring them, either. But I'm still spending time with the person I like. And that counts for something, right? Just wish it could be alone. I really wish Tonks was a mind-reader so she could hear me scold her in my thoughts. . .

  
"Pretending no one's spying on our date takes some energy. . ." Winter finally said, her shoulders slouching.

  
"Should we just invite Tonks and Charlie to join us, Winter? They're practically sitting with us anyway." I said with a sigh.

  
"Sure, let's invite them. They helped me plan this date. So their intentions are good. Just. . . misguided."

  
"Yeah, it's harder than I thought to be stealthy in this tea shop. Sorry, Winter." Tonks said, rubbing her arm sheepishly.

  
"Have you two heard everything Barnaby and I've said?"

  
"Yes. The whole time." Charlie said, not looking directly at us.

  
"So what are you waiting for? Come and join us." I said, trying to stay bright.

  
"Um. . . No thank you."

  
At least Charlie's decent.

  
"Charlie, don't be rude."

  
Tonks. . .

  
"They're on a date, Tonks. Let's leave them to it."

  
"We can pretend it's a double-date. C'mon, now. . ."

  
With that, Tonks stood up and went to approach our table. And I have no idea how she did it, but her elbow bumped into the display of teacups.

  
"Tonks, watch out!" Winter called, immediately tensing up.

  
"Whew! Disaster averted!" Tonks cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

  
"Tonks!" we all called.

  
Too late. The teacups toppled to the floor and shattered. Broken china scattered everywhere, making a terrible reacket. And enter Madam Puffitoot.

  
"Oh dear! _Oh dear!_" she cried, her eyes darting between everyone's feet.

  
"Oops?"

  
Not helpful, Tonks. . .

  
"Careful, m'dears, watch where you step on your way out!"

  
"Our way out?" Winter asked, clearly disappointed. She wasn't alone.

  
"I've got to close up shop to sweep this up. Someone could get hurt. Hurry along now, all of you."

  
"I guess that's the end of our date, Winter." I said, feeling like flattened candy floss.

  
"I guess so."

  
Oh, no! She sounded close to tears now! Tonks, I will never forgive you if she actually cries!

  
"I'm so sorry, both of you!" Tonks exclaimed, still not making eye contact "You know what they say, about best laid plans. . ."

  
"I bet it's got something to do with teacups! Am I right?" I asked, trying to make Winter smile again.

  
"I've actually no idea, but there's a lesson in it."

  
"Move along, m'dears. Back to Hogwarts, you go. . ." Puffitoot said, guiding the other couple around the carnage.

  
"The four of us headed back to Hogwarts together. . . Right, that won't be awkward at all. . ."

  
Well, that's not helping, Charlie. With a sigh, I got up and helped get Winter through the field of shattered china. Her shoes were thinner than mine, so her feet weren't as safe as mine. Let me tell you, walking back to school with the people who had just ruined your date is not a comfortable one. Especially when one of them suggests that we play Exploding Snap while walking. Which is not recommended, since one of the cards scorched my thumb. Other than that shout of pain, our walk was silent. Winter had crawled right back into the shell we all worked so hard to get her out of. I'm going to seriously give these two a talking-to once this is over. They are never going to mess up another one of our dates.

  
But will we even have any other dates? After how poorly I held up the conversation aspect, would Winter want to go out with me again after this? Oh, no, what if she doesn't even want to be friends after this?! No sooner had we gotten back to the castle that Winter disappeared somewhere. I knew it. She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I can't even blame it on Tonks and Charlie. I know I was a terrible date, I knew I would be. Why did I ever think that someone like me could be lucky enough to have such a brilliant person fancy them? At least the stars were shining brightly. I wandered around for a while, not quite ready to face my dreams after this disaster. I finally just sat down at the fountain in the Courtyard.

  
I have no idea how long I sat there, just staring at the sky. I just know that I didn't expect who sat next to me.

  
"Hey." Winter said, obviously trying to be delicate.

  
She was still wearing her dress. And in the starlight, she looked even more brilliant. The universe hates me.

  
"Hey." Damn, my voice was small. Don't like that.

  
. . .

  
"So. . . How's everything going?" Winter asked, awkwardly.

  
"Everything since our date that we just got back from?"

  
"Um. . . Yes. . . ?"

  
"I haven't kept very good track of things since then. . ." obvious lie.

  
"That's alright. I've nothing new to report, either."

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
"So, um. . . Then what is it that you wanted to see me about?" I asked, dreading the answer.

  
"I want to talk to you about how our date went tonight."

  
No. . . Anything but that. . . Wait!

  
"Wait! Was that a shooting star just now?!"

  
"Huh?!"

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
. . .

  
"Are you sure? I didn't see anything." Winter said, obviously confused.

  
"Then let's look for another shooting star!"

  
"But, Barnaby, what I was saying, about our date. . ."

  
"The stars are shooting now, Winter! We can talk about our date later. . ."

  
Merlin's beard, she sees right through this, doesn't she? No matter, I had to keep it going. I don't want to know what was coming next. I had an idea, but I just didn't want her to confirm it. I kept the charade going for as long as I could, pointing out imaginary shooting stars just to keep her eyes off my face. And she humored me for a while. She's always so kind to me. I just didn't want it to end, y'know? She really is my best friend and just the thought that I messed it all up in just one night. . .

  
"Barnaby, we really do need to talk. . ." Winter finally said, looking directly at me.

  
"About stargazing? What do you think of it?" last-ditch effort here.

  
"I think stargazing can be romantic, at the right moment. . ."

  
"Then we should keep stargazing! in complete silence."

  
"But I didn't come to meet you here so we could stargaze in silence. What's got into you?"

  
Damn. She caught me. She always catches me. With a sigh, I spilled my guts.

  
"Alright, I'll confess. There was no shooting star. I've been stalling." I said, gripping my knees until my fingers turned white.

  
"But why?"

  
"I just feel as if you're about to give me bad news. . . Like you had a dreadful time with me tonight. . . Or that you secretly hate my eyebrows. . . Or both. . ." Again with the eyebrows, Barnaby?

  
"What?!"

  
"And I don't want to hear the bad news, Winter. . . because I had a wonderful time with you on our date. It's also possible that I think about eyebrows too much." that last one is definitely true.

  
"So you think I wanted to see you to. . . reject you?"

  
"Why else? I knew I'd blown our date when you complimented how I looked before I'd complemented you. I should've said you looked brilliant right away. I meant to."

  
"But our date had only just started. Who cares who complimented whom first?"

  
"I've been beating myself up about it all night."

  
"All night? But that was the very first thing we discussed on our date."

  
"Yes! It's been a very long night for me!"

  
"And that first part of the date has been the furthest thing from my mind. . ."

  
"Then what is on your mind? Why did you want to see me?"

  
"I wanted to see you because after all my planning, our date still went wrong. . . I could barely keep our conversation going, our friends crowded us. . . And the whole date ended early, in a dangerous mess of teacup shards."

  
"You forgot Tonks' Exploding Snap card burning me on the way back. . ."

  
"I like you, Barnaby. Enough to risk the wrath of Snape by first writing that note in class. . . You deserved so much better for your first date."

  
"But I had the best first date, Winter. . . because it was with you."

  
It's true. I can't even put into words how true that was.

  
"Is that really how you feel? I've been a wreck over how we left things." she said, the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

  
"I wish I had a Time-Turner. There's a lot I would have done differently tonight. . . But I wouldn't change having you as my first date. Not ever. We always have a good time together, don't we? And I think you're amazing always, not just on special nights like this one."

  
Again, do I need to stress how true that is?

  
"I can't believe we both have been worrying about the date being ruined for each other." Winter said, actually laughing now. Finally.

  
"I can. I'll believe just about anything. Glad we talked about it, though. I feel better already."

  
I really did. I can't believe I was ever worried.

  
"And you know how you said there's a lot you'd have done differently tonight, if we had another chance. . ."

  
"Blimey, do you have a Time-Turner? That would be brilliant!"

  
"No, but perhaps we will have another chance."

  
"A second first date?"

  
"It could be written in the stars. . ."

  
Blimey that was smooth!

  
"Yes, I suppose it could be written in the stars! And you just said stargazing is romantic."

  
"Yeah. And I hope you agree."

  
"Absolutely."

  
With a sigh, we both relaxed and leaned back to watch the stars. After a second, I felt something gently touch my hand. Smiling, I scooted a little closer and gently took her hand in mine. Again, I noticed how small her hands are. Especially compared to mine. They're not only small, but they're so soft. And warm. She just makes me smile. This wonderful ray of sunshine of a person chose me. I will never not feel like the luckiest bloke alive as long as I've got her hand in mine. And I will do anything possible to make sure we stay just like this.


End file.
